2 studs and 1 dud from Utah Jazz win over 76ers
It’s getting increasingly difficult to avoid heaping platitudes on this Utah Jazz team. They look dominant, unstoppable, unbeatable: pick your adjective. They look like NBA Championship contenders.
Last night, the Jazz asserted themselves once again with a 118-96 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. We’ve grown accustomed to watching the Jazz destroy teams with relentless three-point shooting, but that wasn’t the story of this contest. As a team, the Jazz shot 15/40 from three-point range, good for 37.5%. That’s an absolutely solid mark, but it doesn’t compare to the unreasonable combination of volume and accuracy they’ve been enjoying lately.
Which only makes it all the more encouraging that they came out with a win anyway. The Jazz executed to perfection on defense in this contest, which is likely true whenever you hold a Joel Embiid-led NBA team to 96 points. They also modified their shot diet to get more inside looks as it became apparent that three-pointers weren’t necessarily going to fall. That sort of flexibility should bode well for Quin Snyder in the upcoming postseason.
Here are 2 studs and 1 dud from this contest.
Utah Jazz stud: Joe Ingles
Before we talk about this dynamic performance from Jingles, we actually need to mention Donovan Mitchell. He won’t be included in this article. He finished with 22 points, shooting 8/19 from the field and 5/10 from three-point range. He was good: his overall accuracy from the field left a bit to be desired, but that three-point clip is fantastic. Overall, he was roughly as good as he needs to be for the Utah Jazz to win games.
Joe Ingles was a little better than necessary.
He finished this one with 11 points on 4/9 shooting and 3/7 three-point shooting and 7 assists. His extra playmaking was essential to diversifying the Jazz’s attack. On several occasions, the Jazz found themselves consistently missing from three-point range, and Ingles’ ability to set up a teammate with a pass inside acted as a safety valve. His own steady hand from beyond the arc didn’t hurt either.
Utah Jazz fans know that Ingles is the type of player who can make large offensive contributions, or play a more supporting role. He wore the former cap in this contest, and contributed to this win in a big way.